Never Forget
by Luxio Nyx
Summary: September 11, 2001: The day a world ended, and a family came together. Dedicated to all who gave their lives on 9/11


September 11, 2001

Alfred frowned at his television screen, his fingers flying across the buttons of his game controller as he struggled to make it to the next level of Kiku's latest video game. He grinned when the last monster came into his sights, his thumb poised to blow it into oblivion...

Pain. Pain was erupting within him, spreading through his upper body like fire. America gasped and doubled over, the game controller falling from his hands as his arms wrapped around his burning torso. An agonized scream broke through his lips, his cerulean eyes going immediately to the blood that was soaking through his t-shirt just above his left shoulder. The nation's eyes widened and he pulled himself to his feet, dread coursing through his body. New York... Albert...

America stumbled to his phone, his breathing labored as the pain intensified. What the hell was happening? He dialed New York's number with shaking fingers and raised the phone to his ear, his head pounding in time with the dial tone. There was no answer.

Alfred swore and punched in the number of the state closest to New York: Pennsylvania.

"Hello?" William's voice greeted calmly.

"Penn, it's Dad," Alfred gasped. He winced at how weak his voice sounded and bit back another cry as another wave of pain swept through him.

"Dad? Dad, what's going on? Are you alright?" Pennsylvania demanded, his voice rising higher and higher in panic.

"Penn, find your brother. Find Bertie. Something is wrong..."

"Dad? Dad, I don't know what-"

"Just go find him, dammit!" America yelled, his voice breaking as the pain grew. "Call the Lizzy and Jed, tell them to call the others and make sure everyone else is alright. Please," the country added, his voice now almost a whisper. "Please, William. Just... make sure everyone is alright."

There was dead silence on the other end of the line for a moment. Then:

"I'm on my way, to New York City, Dad. Do you want me to send anyone over? Addy, Angel, Sam...?"

"N-no," Alfred croaked. God, no. He didn't want any of his children seeing him like this... "J-just, watch out for everyone, okay Penn?"

"I-I will Dad." William broke off for a moment, the sounds of a car roaring to life echoing distantly over the other end of the phone. "I love you, Dad. E-everything's going to be okay, alright?"

America managed to choke out a laugh, his voice breaking again as another wave of pain came over him. "Yeah, William. Everything's going to be fine."

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Lizabeth glanced up from the coffee that she was currently glowering at as the phone rang, its obnoxious dial tone piercing through her hangover like a knife. She winced and stomped over to the device, her green eyes flashing as she lifted the damned thing to her ear.

"Who in the hell-" she began.

"Lizzy, it's me," William's voice called frantically over the line, his normally calm voice nearly frantic. Virginia felt the irritation rush out of her and clutched the phone tightly, concern for her family immediately overshadowing anything else.

"Penn?" she whispered back, her voice unusually quiet. "Penn, honey, what's wrong?"

"I-I don't know, Liz. Dad just called... H-he sounds like he's in a lot of pain a-and he t-told me to go look for Bertie and call you and Jed so you guys could make sure everyone else is okay. L-Lizzy, I don't know what to think."

"Shh," Virginia said soothingly, fighting back the panic that was rising inside of her at the fear in her little brother's voice. "Calm down, Penn. What's going on? Is Bertie in trouble?"

"I-I d-don't know. I'm on my way to h-his apartment right now and oh God, Liz, I can hear his radio stations. They're saying that a plane has hit the World Trade Center. Oh my God... Liz, I think we're under attack."

Virginia sucked in a sharp breath, her entire going numb. She leaned heavily against the wall of her kitchen, the phone nearly slipping through her frozen fingers.

"Will, you get to Bertie as fast as you can, you hear me?" she growled, some of her usual anger seeping into her voice as she tried to regain her strength. "I'll call Jed and the others, you just make sure that Bertie is okay. Call me when you find him, do you understand?"

"Y-yeah. Okay... Dammit, why is there so much traffic?"

"Listen, Penn, I'm going to call Angel. He'll send his chopper down to pick you up. Where are you?"

Virginia waited until her brother had stammered out the name of the highway that he was currently stuck on before she ended the call, her fingers already pounding New Jersey's number into the device.

"'Lo?" New Jersey's voice mumbled sleepily from the other end.

"God dammit, Angel, you get your ass out of bed right now!" Virginia shrieked, some of the panic returning to her voice as she thought of New York and Pennsylvania.

"Lizzy?" Angel asked, his voice immediately alert. "Lizzy, what's going on?"

"Somethings going on, Ang. Bertie's in trouble... We think there might have been an attack. Get in your chopper and go pick up Penn. You two need to get to New York City as soon as possible, got it?"

"Y-yeah. Lizzy, what's-?"

"Penn will explain it to you later. Just get your ass over there!"

The Virginian felt her knees collapse beneath her after she hung up on New Jersey. She struggled to keep the phone in her frozen fingers and dialed a number that she never thought she would use.

"Jed Jones speaking!" Maryland's cheerful voice answered almost immediately. "How can I-?"

"J-Jed, it's me," Virginia mumbled, forgetting for the moment that she had sworn to never again use Maryland's human name.

"L-Lizzy?" Jed whispered, his tone shocked. "What's wrong? Are you-?" The state suddenly broke off, a low gasp barely reaching Virginia's ears over the crackle of the phone.

"Jed?" Lizzy growled, immediately alert. Had something happened to him, too? "Jed, what-?"

"Turn on your TV, Lizzy," Jed interrupted, his voice oddly quiet.

"Why-?"

"Just turn it on!"

Virginia lunged for the remote that she had thrown carelessly next to her toaster and fumbled with the power button, her eyes locked on the screen of the tiny television in her kitchen as it flared to life.

The voices of CNN reporters flooded her kitchen, an image of Albert's Twin Towers pasted on the screen.

They were burning.

"... a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers..."

"Oh... Oh my God," Lizzy croaked. "Oh my God..."

It was then that she began to cry.

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Alfred glanced up as the phone rang again, his body still throbbing with the burning pain that had begun nearly ten minutes ago. Had it only been ten minutes? That was what the clock told him... It felt like longer.

"Y-yes?" he managed to gasp into the phone.

"Alfred?"

America closed his eyes as the voice of his current president crackled over the phone, his jaw clenching as another wave of fiery agony passed through him.

"Hey, George," he croaked.

"Alfred, I've just heard about the plane crash into the World Trade Center," George W. Bush told him, the concern in his voice clearly visible over the phone. "Are you- can you feel anything?"

"Yeah, I can feel it," America gasped. "I didn't... know about the crash. Just the pain."

"Have you talked to your son, New York?" the president demanded. "Do you know if he's-?"

"I sent Pennsylvania to look for him," Alfred explained. "H-he told me he'd call when they found him..."

"Alright... Alfred, I need to go. I'm due to meet with some kids in a few minutes... Promise me you'll let me or one of my aids know if anything changes?"

America nodded, not remembering that the man couldn't see him over the phone. "I promise, George. Have fun with the kids."

Bush chuckled humorlessly over the phone. "Fun... I'm afraid this crash has ruined my fun for the day."

"I don't think it's over yet, George," Alfred whispered.

"I hope you're wrong this time, Alfred," Bush sighed. "Good-bye."

"Bye, sir."

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Pennsylvania and New Jersey scrambled out of the tiny helicopter and ran to the stairwell that led to the lower floors of New York's apartment building. The two states impatiently waved away the frazzled attendants and security personnel that tried to get in their way, their entire focus devoted to the brother that lived only two floors below them.

Pennsylvania reached New York's apartment first, his fist hammering against the neat black door as he called out his closest brother's name.

"I don't hear an answer," Angel gasped, his light blue eyes tight with fear.

William only growled and pushed away from the apartment. He lashed out at the door with his foot, a pleased smirk twisting his lips when the wood crumbled.

"Albert!" he yelled. "Goddammit, answer me you son of a bitch!"

Someone groaned weakly from New York's study, nearly making Pennsylvania's heart stop. The state ran in the direction of the room, New Jersey close behind him.

Albert was hunched over on the floor behind his desk, his hands pressed weakly against the blood that was spreading across the front of his pristine white Oxford shirt like some macabre rose. The New Yorker's face was pale and drawn, his usual sunglasses lying abandoned on the floor as he stared up at his siblings with sharp blue eyes wild with pain and fear.

"G-God," he mumbled. "G-God, Penn, it h-hurts..."

William fell to his knees beside his brother, his shaking hands struggling to peel Albert's shirt away from his bloodied chest. Pennsylvania glanced back at New Jersey, who stood frozen just inside the door of the study, his expression terrified.

"Call Dad," the Pennsylvanian snapped. "Then call Lizzy. Tell them what's happening."

Angel nodded shakily and ran out of the room. William could hear his voice raised several feet away as the state called Virginia. Pennsylvania glanced back down at New York, trying to keep the fear from showing in his expression. Albert managed to smile back at him and reached up to weakly grab his brother's wrist.

"Don't l-look so scared, Penny," he gasped. "I'm a d-damned New Yorker. It t-takes more than t-this to get rid of me."

"Shut up, you idiot," William growled. "Save your strength," he added in a gentler tone. "It's okay, everything's going to be okay. It's all over now..."

New York shook his head, his eyes tightening.

"No it's not," he whispered.

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"America? You git, do you realize what time it is over-"

"Artie, you need to turn on your TV," America interrupted, his voice barely a whisper.

"I- what?"

"Turn on the telly, or whatever the hell you call it," Alfred repeated, his voice cracking with the pain.

The American could here the sound of bustling in the background, accompanied by a few muttered curses from a certain Brit.

"What the hell is this about, Alfred?" England demanded, not quite able to disguise the fear he felt.

"Turn... the channel to CNN. You... have that, don't you?" America gasped.

"Of course I have it," England grumbled. "I don't see what- Oh my God."

"Do you... see it?" the American whispered. "The... towers. Are they...?"

"One of them is burning... the reporters are saying that a plane has- has crashed into- Oh God, Alfred, are you alright? What about New York?"

"I don't know about Bertie," Alfred mumbled. "Penn hasn't called me..."

"What about you, you git?"

"I... I'm fine, Iggy," America assured him,

"Don't lie to me, Alfred," Arthur growled. "You sound like you can barely speak and- Oh no."

"What?" Alfred demanded, abruptly alert. "What is it?"

"Alfred, there's- there's another plane. It's heading towards the second tower-"

England's voice was cut off by America's scream. The American doubled over again, the phone falling from his grasp as another wave of fiery pain erupted within him, nearly sending him into unconsciousness. He clenched his teeth against a second scream, his breath hissing between his clenched teeth.

"Alfred?" England's voice crackled over the phone. "Alfred, are you there? Damn it, Alfred, say something!"

"Arthur," America gasped, his voice echoing strangely in his own ears as the dark abyss of unconsciousness finally took over.

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"Albert!" William yelled, his frantic call nearly drowned out by the bloodcurdling scream that tore through the state's throat. Pennsylvania stared in horror as new burns and gashes began to appear across his brother's chest, his hands pressing frantically against the blood that flowed from the wounds in a waterfall of scarlet.

"What's going on?" Angel's voice called from the living room, his voice thin with fear.

"Look at the fucking television!" William yelled back. "What the hell are they saying?"

There was a pause for a long moment, broken only by Albert's agonized moans and the sick drip of blood onto the carpet of the study floor.

"There's- there's been a second crash, or explosion, or something," New Jersey croaked. "I'm not sure- Oh. Oh God. William, it's a second plane. It hit the second tower and- Oh God. God, I think we're under attack, Penn."

Pennsylvania didn't answer, his eyes filling with tears as he glanced back down at his wounded brother.

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Antonia Jones burst through the front door of Emma E. Booker Elementary School, her olive skin nearly white with fear. She snarled at the Secret Service men that tried to get in her way and barked out a few codes before continuing on her way, her legs carrying her towards the classroom where her father's boss was currently sitting.

One of Bush's aids saw her coming and tried to block her way, only to back down when Florida sent him a death glare.

"Get the president out of here," Antonia snarled. "There's been a second attack on the World Trade Center. Tell him. Now."

The aid nodded frantically and slipped into the room. Florida watched as he bent to whisper into the president's ear, her hands tightening into fists as images of the burning towers flashed through her mind. She glared at the aid again when he exited the room without the president, her emerald eyes narrowing dangerously.

"The president is going to stay with the children for a little while longer," the aid told her hastily. "He doesn't want to alarm them. We'll get him to safety as soon as we can," he added, a little confused as to why he was telling all of this to a teenager.

Florida nodded reluctantly and stormed out of the building, her eyes going immediately to the red-haired twins and petite blonde girl that waited just feet away. The Carolinas and Georgia stared back at her, their eyes still wide with fear. Antonia sighed and wrapped a comforting arm around her sister's shoulder, trying to give the trembling girl some sort of comfort.

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Virginia stared at the television screen, her eyes widening in horror.

"Do you see it?" Jed's voice called quietly over the line.

The two states had stayed on the phone with each other for almost the entire morning, only hanging up for a few minutes at a time to get in touch with their other siblings.

"Yeah," Lizzy whispered. "Yeah I- Oh God, Bertie..."

"Should we send someone else to find him?" Jed asked worriedly. "Just in case Ang and Penn-"

"David and Annie volunteered to go," Lizzy muttered, referring to Texas and Oklahoma. "But they can't get there... all flights to Bertie's area are shut down... God, Jed, what if this is an attack? What if they attack someone else? Oh God, Alyssa..."

"I called Ginny a few minutes ago," Maryland interrupted. Virginia winced at the mention of West Virginia and forced herself to keep listening. "She said she's on her way to your place with Alyssa, just in case something happens to one of you three. Addy and I are going down to Dad's in a minute to make sure he's okay. Angel told me that he couldn't get an answer from Dad's phone..."

"Alright," Virginia murmured, pushing away the irritation she felt at the idea of West Virginia and Washington D.C. being in her house. "Be careful, okay? Both of you... And take care of Dad."

"We will, Liz. I promise."

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America groaned as he regained consciousness, his eyes slowly blinking open as the pain came back to him in waves. He frowned when he saw a blonde blur blocking his vision, his bleary blue eyes focusing on the frightened face of Delaware bent over him.

"Addy?" he croaked, his voice still thick with pain.

Delaware sighed in relief and nodded, her bright blue eyes filled with tears beneath her thick blonde-hair.

"Hey Daddy," she whispered in a choked voice.

"What are you doing here?" Alfred demanded. "Are you alone? How are the others?"

"Jed's here with me," Addy told him quietly. "He's on a conference call with England and the president. They both called while you were... they're both worried about you."

America groaned at the mention of England. Damn, he had lost consciousness with England on the phone. Would Arthur think that he was weak now? The nation felt another wave of pain go through him and glanced at the television screen that was still showing the smoking towers, his vision blurred with tears.

No, Arthur wouldn't think that he was weak.

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Virginia darted away from her front door back into the living room, her eyes going immediately to the two towers still burning on the screen. West Virginia and Washington D.C. filed in behind her, their faces drawn with tension and fear. After a moment of hesitation, West Virginia walked forward and touched her sister's shoulder, her green eyes meeting Virginia's emerald gaze, their red-blonde hair falling in identical waves onto their shoulders.

"What are we going to do, Lizzy?" she asked quietly.

Lizzy shook her head, ignoring the usual anger and betrayal that rose up at the sight of the girl who had abandoned her state.

"I-I'm not sure, Ginny," she mumbled.

Ginny's eyes widened in shock at Lizzy's use of her name, her grip tightening on her sister's arm.

"Guys?" Alyssa's voice called softly from behind them. "Am I... going to be attacked, too?"

The two Virginias looked back at Washington D.C., immediately noting the fear in the capital's blue eyes, identical to their father's. West Virginia immediately went to Washington D.C.'s side, her hand running soothingly through the girl's short golden hair.

"I don't know, Lys," she whispered. "But we're here for you, okay? Everything will be alright. Right Lizzy?"

Virginia nodded numbly and cautiously joined her two sisters. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing D.C.'s hand, her green eyes fierce.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Everything will be-" The state broke off suddenly, her eyes widening as a burning pain began to build within her. She gasped and felt her knees buckle, her hand tightening around Alyssa's.

"Lizzy?" Ginny demanded, her voice rising in fear. "Lizzy! What's happening?"

Lizzy shook her head silently, a low moan breaking through her lips as she sank to her knees. She felt Alyssa's arms wrap around her in support as Ginny knelt in front of her, her expression panicked.

"The... Pentagon," Virginia whispered numbly. "It's hit..."

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Jed glanced up from the phone, ignoring England's worried voice in his ear as the sound of his cellphone reached him. The president had gotten off the phone several minutes ago to argue with his Secret Service about going back to Washington D.C., leaving Maryland to deal with a nearly frantic England who wouldn't stop asking him about America.

"Addy," Jed called, not really caring that he had interrupted England mid-rant. "Addy, answer my cell-phone."

Addy nodded and left their father's side, her slim fingers trembling as she raised the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she greeted quietly. "Ginny? What's going-" Delaware broke off abruptly, her voice choked with the tears that she was struggling to keep at bay. "I-I think you need to talk to Jed right now."

Maryland watched warily as his sister wordlessly held out his cell-phone. He handed her the other phone and walked away, his cell-phone pressed tightly against his ear as Delaware apologized to England.

"What is it, Ginny?" he demanded, fear trickling into his voice. Had something happened to Alyssa? His father hadn't given any indication that the pain had increased...

"It's Lizzy, Jed," Ginny told him, her voice trembling. "Sh-she just collapsed. She said t-that the P-Pentagon was hit."

Jed froze, his hand reaching out instinctively for a nearby table in an attempt to steady himself. Dimly, he heard his father groan in pain several feet away, while another moan echoed the nation's from over the phone.

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It hit him before he even realized what was happening.

Pennsylvania gasped and doubled over, his blood-covered hands leaving New York's chest to press against his own abdomen. His blue eyes rose to meet Albert's pain-filled gaze, his expression a mix of agony and fear.

"W-William?" Albert gasped.

"I-I've been hit," William choked. "I- Oh God, it burns..."

"Where?" Angel demanded fearfully. New Jersey had joined his two brothers nearly half and hour ago, his own shaking hands joining Pennsylvania's in an attempt to stem the flow of blood that still came from New York's chest.

"I- Shanksville," William groaned. "No- no buildings were hit but... a plane crashed. Oh God, I can feel them... the people who just died... Oh my God, Albert..."

New York reached out and grabbed his brother's hand, only to wince as the movement sent a new flash of pain through his agonized body.

"I know," he gasped. "I-I know."

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Delaware jumped when her cell-phone began to ring furiously from her jeans pocket.

"Um, Mr. England?" she squeaked. "Please, my cell-phone is ringing. I have to-."

"Answer the phone, dear," England interrupted gently. "I'm not going anywhere."

Addy nodded and gently laid the phone on the nearest table, her other hand bringing her cell-phone up to her ear.

"H-hello?" she whispered, almost afraid of what she would hear.

"Addy," Angel's voice crackled over the phone line. "Addy, Penn's been hit."

Delaware gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth, the tears that she had been fighting so hard to contain slipping down her cheeks.

"He said that one of the planes crashed outside of one of his small towns," New Jersey continued, his voice cracking as New York moaned in pain from somewhere at the other end of the line.

"B-big brother," Addy choked, her vision blurred with tears as she thought of the strong state that had protected her for so long and was now in pain.

When would this end?

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Alfred pulled himself slowly into a sitting position, his eyes locked on the television screen as pain continued to course through his body. He had felt it when the other two planes crashed into the Pentagon and Shanksville, had felt the pain of his children join his own in a never-ending flood of agony. Addy and Jed were both with him now, their expressions tight with worry as they tried to make him comfortable. Occasionally, one of the two would raise their voice and call out to the Englishman that was still with them over the phone, his concerned voice distorted by the speakers of America's phone.

At the moment, though, Alfred didn't notice the voices or presence of those he loved. No, his attention was now focused on the screen, his blue eyes tightening, his lips cracking open in an agonized scream as the first of the towers fell in a cloud of smoke.

There were hands touching him, slipping across his arms and shoulders in an attempt to comfort him, even as the owners of those hands trembled and shook with fear and anguish. America couldn't bring himself to focus on the hands, his eyes still locked on the cloud of smoke that had once been a tower, the roaring of collapsing metal filling his ears, his mind, his entire being.

The second tower fell and another scream broke through the American nation. Somewhere, miles away in New York City, Alfred knew that his scream was being echoed by thousands, by millions of other agonized and frightened cries. He felt the pain of his people as they were crushed by debris and fire, felt their fear as the survivors fled from the thick cloud that was reaching for them, trying to pull them back into the hell of the burning twins.

But it was the loudest screams that caused a sob to finally wrack America's body, the cries of his children, of New York, that filled his ears as the towers fell.

The cries faded, leaving only silence and a dull burning in their wake. America opened his eyes and looked around his living room, taking in the two states that knelt at his side and gripped his hands, their pale cheeks wet with tears. The nation tried to smile, to assure them that everything was going to be alright, that it was all over, but he couldn't.

It was over. The towers had fallen.

Everything had changed.

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September 11, 2011

51 people were standing around the edge of Ground Zero.

They were part of no ceremony. The flowers that they now laid at the edge of the construction zone were not the usual bouquets of mourning loved ones or the tearful masses offering silent support. No, this group was different from all of the others.

America stood at the front of his family, his arm wrapped around New York's shoulder in an effort to support him. Out of the corner of his eyes, her could see Virginia holding Maryland and West Virginia's hands, could see Pennsylvania and New York's hands clasped together. He saw Georgia and Florida huddling together near the back of the group, with the Carolinas by their sides. New Hampshire and Vermont were standing behind New York in silent support, while Maine held a tearful Massachusetts in his arms and Connecticut pulled Rhode Island close.

Alfred felt himself smile despite the memories of that horrific day ten years ago. Over the decade since the attacks, this one day had become a time when his family came together, when there were no fights between his children. It was one this day that New York and Massachusetts stopped nagging each other, that Virginia forgave Maryland and West Virginia for leaving her during the Civil War. Maine forgot that he hated his sister Massachusetts, Florida stopped scaring Georgia with memories of her time as Spain's child.

His family was at peace.

Someday, his people would be at peace, too. Someday, someday the fighting would stop. The terrorists would stop attacking, the heroes would stop dying. Someday, they would come here and smile because they knew that those who had died could rest easy, could know that they hadn't died in vain.

Someday, America's children wouldn't have to worry about the pain of war.

Someday, someday...

Until then, Alfred would hold his children as they cried from wars and memories. Until then, he would watch his people die and his leaders struggle. He would try and stand strong and, occasionally, accept help and support from those he loved when the pain became too much to bear.

Until then, he would mourn the heroes he had lost, and cry for the ones that he would lose.

America looked over at the memorial that was nearly finished, at the waterfalls that were spilling clear water over the places where the towers had once stood, as if by doing so they could wash away the pain and the memories. But for America, for his family, nothing could wash away that day.

They would always remember, they would never forget.

He would never forget.

**God Bless America.**

**Note: This story takes place in about the same world as my other fanfic, New York's Insane Plan.**

**It is also dedicated to everyone who gave their lives on September 11, 2001, and everyone whose lives were forever changed.**


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